Web materials are known in the art. For example, a polyester nonwoven that is impregnated and/or coated with a detergent composition is known in the art as shown in prior art FIGS. 1 and 2. An example of such a web material is commercially available as Purex® Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets from The Dial Corporation. Further, an article of manufacture formed from a cast solution of a detergent composition is also commercially available as Dizolve® Laundry Sheets commercially available from Dizolve Group Corporation.
Various web materials and/or articles of manufacture delivering detergent compositions and/or actives for cleaning performance are generally unaesthetically pleasing, lacking any graphic or visually pleasing appearance characteristic. Visual graphics are an important aspect of delivering against consumer needs by communicating a signal that a product will deliver against performance expectations as well as making the use of such products an enjoyable use experience. In various applications, web materials with one or more graphics disposed thereon are generally viewed as more appealing to consumers than those without graphics.
Printing graphics on web materials configured to dissolve in use situations present various challenges. For example, because such web materials are designed to dissolve during in use situations, applying inks solutions, especially aqueous inks, might trigger premature, localized dissolution of the web material where the ink is applied. Such dissolution could form fiber junctions and produce hard spots in the web, which may be unappealing from a tactile standpoint and may reduce the flexibility of the web material. Also, the ink may dissolve fibers and penetrate into the interior of a filament, and as such, the resulting color intensity may be less than desired and may be less visible to a viewer. In addition, some inks may create problems with residual color being deposited on surfaces, clothes, fabrics, or other materials being cleaned.
The printing of inks on dissolving web materials would also present other difficulties when considering the potential for a relatively high degree of dot gain on such dissolvable web materials (the spread of the ink from its initial/intended point of printing to surrounding areas). For example, a typical piece of paper that may be used for printing a book will have a dot gain of about 3% to about 4%, whereas a dissolvable web material may have potential for a much higher dot gain because the web material comprises fibers which literally dissolve in use. The higher dot gain would make it difficult to deliver against target color intensity levels; would limit the color gamut available for desired graphics; and make it difficult to deliver acceptable print quality.
In addition, many prior art printing methods may be unsuitable for use in printing dissolving web materials due to the relatively low modulus of the dissolving web materials. For example, a printing method used for a high modulus substrate (i.e., card stock or newspaper) may not be equally applied to a low modulus, dissolving web material. The low modulus of dissolving web materials provides for inconsistencies in the web material that are relatively noticeable when compared to an ordinary paper substrate (such as that for printing a book or newspaper). As a result, maintaining adequate tension in the dissolving web materials during printing without tearing, shredding, stretching, or deforming, the dissolving web materials provides a challenge to printing such web materials.
There is a need for a dissolving web material with graphics that overcomes the negatives described above. In addition, many consumers may prefer purchasing such dissolving web materials and/or articles of manufacture having graphic designs printed thereon. Thus, there is an ongoing need for aesthetically appealing, dissolving web materials where the dissolution, flexibility, strength, modulus, color intensity, cleaning performance and other performance properties of the web materials are not compromised as graphics or ink materials are added thereon. There is also an ongoing need for methods for applying graphics or ink materials to the surface of dissolving, web materials.